Adelaide Zoo’s Small-clawed otter pups enjoyed their very first water-based enrichment challenge today!
At 3-months-old, the pups have quickly become strong swimmers as they follow mum Kalaya and dad Bao around their habitat.
This morning, keepers presented the family of four with a floating raft holding a delectable fish treat.
Adelaide Zoo Keeper Kat Moore said this enrichment was a great way to stimulate the otters both mentally and physically.
“We’re always working to come up with creative ways to provide enrichment to our animals, and with today’s winter sunshine in full force we thought it was the perfect time to give our new raft a go,” Kat said.
“It’s super important for all animals to find opportunities throughout their day where they can mimic the natural behaviours they’d exhibit in the wild.
“This raft is something new and exciting for the otters, so they’ll likely spend all day investigating it, particularly because it’s filled with some delicious fishy treats.
“We thought they might have been a bit braver and jumped straight on to grab the food, but so far they’ve been quite cautious and are choosing to spend a bit of time examining it.”
Our dedicated keepers incorporate varied and engaging enrichment programs into each of our animal’s daily routines.
Training programs, food puzzles and other forms of enrichment allow our furry, feathered and scaly residents to be mentally stimulated and challenged based on their natural behaviours and instincts.
These two Small-clawed otter pups mark the first litter born to Kalaya and Bao, and are an important contribution to the breeding program working to save the vulnerable species.
The pair are the first born at Adelaide Zoo since 2003. Adelaide Zoo is proud to have bred more than 69 otters since its inceptions.
